Floods, damage, and tens of thousands of households left without power

Melbourne and Brisbane experienced 1 of the astir aggravated weather events of the past year connected Sunday, with almighty storms, flash floods, and widespread powerfulness outages.

In Victoria, it was recorded arsenic the wettest time of the year, while successful Queensland thousands of residents were near without energy amid unprecedented damage.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology, Melbourne saw 15 millimetres of rainfall successful conscionable 15 minutes betwixt 4:20 and 4:35 pm.

Roads flooded crossed respective areas, with the CBD, South Melbourne, and West Melbourne among the hardest hit. Trams and vehicles were immobilised successful parts of the city, while the State Emergency Service (SES) responded to much than 500 incidents, mostly for spot harm and fallen trees.

More than 28,000 homes mislaid power, chiefly successful Melbourne’s western suburbs, with Werribee and Hoppers Crossing signaling the highest fig of exigency calls.

Meteorologist Simon Timke noted the “particularly precocious intensity” of the rainfall, explaining that “the infrastructure simply cannot grip such rates.”

A akin situation unfolded successful Queensland, where storms caused extended damage. Police were forced to adjacent roads successful Woolloongabba owed to roadworthy collapse, while videos circulating online showed a burning tree successful Moorooka and a barbecue being swept distant by the wind from a balcony.

At the highest of the storm, 70,000 Energex customers were without power, with the fig dropping to 61,000 by midnight. Brisbane was the astir affected area, signaling 40,000 outages, while Ipswich had implicit 12,000. Authorities urged residents to debar downed powerlines and flooded zones.

The storms were accompanied by ample hail, and lightning forced the suspension of the Pacific Championships rugby lucifer astatine Suncorp Stadium — the longest crippled hold successful the sport’s history.

Meteorologists warn that the weather system whitethorn continue, with further storms expected and a imaginable outbreak of “thunderstorm asthma” crossed bluish Victoria, according to the state’s Chief Health Officer.